JP5936632B2 - Multi-arm dimple and dimple pattern including the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a design of a golf ball dimple having a star pattern and a method for placing such a dimple on a golf ball.

  NACA ducts are a common form of low resistance inlet design, originally developed by the US Aerospace Advisory Committee in the 1940s. In particular, a NACA duct is an embedded inlet or scoop that is commonly used to introduce cooling, ventilation, or combustion air into an aircraft or vehicle mechanical system. In contrast to conventional scoops that project outside the object, NACA ducts have a depression on the object surface, so the duct resistance is lower. However, the disadvantage of such a shape is that the duct is not configured to reach into the high energy air away from the object, so the low energy boundary layer air, ie the air layer that adheres to the surface of the moving object. Most of the air is sucked in, limiting the effectiveness of the duct. NACA ducts partially offset this drawback by incorporating certain geometric features. For example, the NACA duct is composed of a slope that gently slopes downward toward the object. Further, the slope has a narrow leading edge and spreads rapidly at the trailing edge. The expanding width is bounded by vertical or nearly vertical sidewalls with a characteristic recurved curved shape. These S-shaped walls define the characteristics of the NACA duct and generate a pair of vortices that rotate in opposite directions, which are thought to efficiently draw high energy air from the outside of the boundary layer into the duct. .

  Racing car designers typically employ NACA ducts on the sides of an object to inhale air for less demanding applications, such as ventilation or cooling. Aviation engineers employ NACA ducts on various types of aircraft for similar purposes. In applications that require a large amount of high energy air, such as for combustion, it is generally best to form a regular scoop to protrude from the side of the body or provide an inlet on the forward facing surface Is obtained.

  Changing the shape and depth of the duct is important for proper operation. When properly implemented, fluid (usually air) can be drawn into the internal duct while minimizing flow disturbances or increased resistance.

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  Golf ball dimples act to induce turbulence in the air boundary layer near the golf ball surface. Compared to the laminar boundary layer, the turbulent boundary layer can better adhere and stay on the ball surface. Therefore, when the boundary layer is not in a laminar flow state but in a turbulent flow state, the magnitude of the wake behind the golf ball can be reduced, and as a result, the pressure resistance acting on the golf ball is reduced. The turbulent boundary layer creates a greater surface frictional resistance, which is dramatically countered by a decrease in pressure resistance. However, manufacturers continue to strive to maximize the overall benefits by reducing pressure resistance and minimizing the corresponding increase in surface friction resistance. Accordingly, there is a need for techniques for improved dimple designs and shapes that draw airflow into the dimples and cause turbulence in the boundary layer. The present invention relates to the design and shape of such dimples.

  The present invention relates to a dimple including a plurality of arm portions for use on a golf ball, each arm portion having a front edge having a first width and a rear edge having a second width wider than the first width; Each includes first and second sidewalls extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge, and a sloped bottom, the bottom having a first depth and a back of approximately zero at the front edge to produce the slope. A second region having a second depth that is deeper than the first depth at the edge portion is provided, and a central region is provided, and the central region has a third depth that is the same as the second depth at the periphery.

  In one embodiment, the first and second sidewalls form a recurved curved shape. In another embodiment, each of the first and second sidewalls has a third width that is greater than the second width at a predetermined point along its longitudinal direction. In yet other embodiments, the third width is at least about 3 percent greater than the second width. For example, the third width may be at least about 5 percent greater than the second width.

  In other embodiments, the first and second sidewalls form a linear shape from the leading edge to the trailing edge. In yet another embodiment, each of the first and second sidewalls forms an angle of about 90 degrees with the bottom. In another embodiment, the first and second sidewalls form an angle greater than about 90 degrees and less than about 120 degrees with the bottom.

  The present invention also relates to a golf ball including a plurality of dimples, wherein the plurality of dimples are disposed on the golf ball according to a dimple pattern including at least one composite dimple, and the at least one composite dimple includes a plurality of arm portions. Each of the arms includes a leading edge having a first width, a trailing edge having a second width wider than the first width, a first sidewall extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge, and A second side wall and a sloped bottom, the bottom having a first depth of approximately zero at the front edge and a second depth deeper than the first depth at the rear edge to produce the slope. And a central region is provided, the central region having a third depth that is the same as the second depth at the periphery thereof.

  In one embodiment, the dimple pattern includes at least about 50 percent of a first composite dimple type that includes a first number of arms. In other embodiments, the dimple pattern includes at least about 1 percent of a second composite dimple form that includes a second number of arms less than the first number of arms.

  The dimple pattern should include at least 50 percent of the first type of dimple having the first shape, wherein the dimple pattern is approximately the first composite dimple type having the first number of arms. Includes from 5 percent to about 50 percent. In one embodiment, the first shape is circular. The dimple pattern may further include from about 1 percent to about 5 percent of a second composite dimple type having a second number of arms less than the first number.

  In one embodiment, the first and second sidewalls form a recurved curved shape. In other embodiments, the first and second sidewalls each form about 90 degrees with the bottom. In still other embodiments, each of the first and second sidewalls forms an angle greater than about 90 degrees and less than about 120 degrees with the bottom.

Each of the composite dimples may have the same number of arms as the adjacent dimples. In one embodiment, the dimple pattern includes a plurality of composite dimples, and the arm portions of the composite dimple are oriented so as to engage with the arm portions of adjacent composite dimples. In another embodiment, the dimple pattern includes a plurality of composite dimples, and the composite dimples are oriented such that their arms straddle an imaginary line connecting the center of the dimple and the center of the adjacent dimple.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention may be ascertained by the following detailed description, which is provided in connection with the drawings described below.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a part of a dimple according to the present invention. It is a figure which shows the AA cross section in FIG. 1A. It is a figure which shows the AA cross section in FIG. 1A. It is a top view which shows other embodiment of a part of dimple by this invention. FIG. 6 is a plan view illustrating various embodiments of a portion of a dimple according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view or an elevation view showing an embodiment of a part of a dimple according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view or an elevation view showing an embodiment of a part of a dimple according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view or an elevation view showing an embodiment of a part of a dimple according to the present invention. It is a figure which shows the composite dimple by embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows embodiment of the dimple pattern containing the some composite dimple by embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows embodiment of the dimple pattern containing the some composite dimple by embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows embodiment of the dimple pattern containing the some composite dimple by embodiment of this invention.

  As described above, the present invention develops the dimple design and geometric shape of a golf ball using the principle of the NACA duct. In particular, a plurality of dimples formed using the principle of the NACA duct technology are preferably used to form various dimple patterns used on the entire surface or part of a golf ball.

Dimple Designs The various dimple designs used on the whole or part of a golf ball according to the present invention are generally based on NACA duct technology. In particular, the length and shape of at least one dimple on the golf ball according to the present invention is such that air flow is sucked into the dimple and a pair of vortices rotating in opposite directions are generated to increase turbulence in the boundary layer. Designed.

  In one embodiment, a composite dimple according to the present invention includes a plurality of substantially similar arms, each having a leading edge (a “pointed” portion) and a trailing edge. These arms gather at the trailing edge and form a ring with each trailing edge. This ring defines the central region of the composite dimple. Accordingly, the front edge of each arm portion protrudes outward to form a dimple having a star shape.

FIG. 1A shows the general shape and contour of the arm 5. For example, each front edge 10 of the arm 5 has a first width W ₁ , and the rear edge 15 has a second width W ₂ wider than the first width W ₁ . In one embodiment, the first width W ₁ is about 50 percent or less than the width of the second width W ₂ . In other embodiments, the first width W ₁ is about 40 percent or less than the width of the second width W ₂ . In yet another embodiment, the first width W ₁ is about 30 percent or less than the width of the second width W ₂ . For example, the first width W ₁ may be about 20 percent or less than the width of the second width W ₂ . In one embodiment, the first width W ₁ is about 10 percent or less than the width of the second width W ₂ .

  The width extending from the leading edge 10 towards the trailing edge 15 is bounded by vertical or nearly vertical sidewalls (20, 25) on both sides, as shown in FIG. 1A. In particular, in one embodiment, the sidewalls that extend from each other may be substantially perpendicular (90 degrees) to the bottom of the arm, as shown in FIG. 1B. In other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1C, the sidewall is inclined outwardly by an angle α. For example, the sidewall can be inclined to form an angle of about 95 to 120 degrees with the bottom of the arm. In one embodiment, the sidewall angle is from about 98 degrees to about 110 degrees relative to the bottom of the arm. In other embodiments, the sidewall angle is from about 100 degrees to about 105 degrees relative to the bottom of the arm.

  Those skilled in the art will appreciate that most golf balls are finished with one or more paint coatings, which change the final planar and cross-sectional shapes of the dimples to some extent. The dimensions described here are for unpainted dimples.

The side walls 20 and 25 of the arms can be curved and curved. Some non-limiting examples of suitable recurved curved sidewalls are shown in FIG. 2A. For example, the side walls 20a and 25a form curved curved surfaces different from the curved curved surfaces formed by the side walls 20b and 25b and the side walls 20c and 25c. In particular, the side walls 20a and 25a form an outer shape narrower than the outer shape formed by the side walls 20b and 25b (widths W ₄ and W ₅ (widths between the side walls at the points X ₂ and X ₃ respectively). The side walls 20a and 25a are narrower than the side walls 20b and 25b, but the width W ₃ (indicating the width between the side walls at the point X ₁ ) and the width W ₂ are the same with respect to the outer shapes of the side walls. ). Similarly, the overall outer shape formed by the side walls 20b and 25b is narrower than that formed by the side walls 20c and 25c (the widths W ₂ and W ₅ are the same as those formed by the side walls 20b and 25b. Although those formed with 20c and 25c are the same, the width W ₃ and W ₄ is narrower than that towards those formed by the side wall 20b and 25b are formed by the side wall 20c and 25c). In one embodiment, the side wall curvature forms a width W ₅ that is wider than the width W ₂ (side walls 20b and 25b and side walls 20c and 25c).

In other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2A (such as side walls 20d and 25d), the outer shape formed by the side walls is linear. Therefore, the width W ₃ formed by the side walls 20d and 25d is substantially the same as the width W ₃ formed by the side walls 20c and 25c, but the width W ₄ , the width W ₅ , and the width W ₂ are the same as those of the side wall 20c. The width formed by the side walls 20d and 25d is narrower than that formed by 25c.

The length of the side wall of the arm portion varies greatly depending on the outer shape of the arm portion. For example, FIG. 2B shows various lengths (L, L ₁ , L ₂ , L ₃ ), indicating that the side wall depends on the outer shape of the arm. In particular, as shown in FIG. 2B, when the leading edge 10 begins at a point y ₁ on the reference line, the sidewall has a length L ₁ . Similarly, when the leading edge 10 begins at a point y ₂ on the reference line, the sidewall has a length L ₂ .

  As shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C, the depth of the bottom of the arm is, at any point, the vertical distance between the virtual ball surface and the bottom surface at the midpoint between the sidewalls. As shown in FIG. 3A, the depth of the bottom of the sloped arm is essentially zero at the leading edge and deeper at the trailing edge, so that the tangential plane of the virtual ball surface and the slope surface The slope angle β is determined between The slope angle of each arm can vary, but it should be understood that the greater the slope angle, the smaller the extent of spread for functioning best. In particular, the slope angle should be in the range between about 3 degrees and about 15 degrees. In one embodiment, the tilt is from about 5 degrees to about 12 degrees. In yet other embodiments, the tilt is from about 7 degrees to about 11.5 degrees. In other embodiments, the slope ranges from about 8 degrees to about 11.5 degrees.

In other embodiments, the bottom of the arm may have two or more different slopes from the leading edge to the trailing edge. For example, the arm has a first slope from the front edge 10 to a predetermined point, for example, the point L ₁ shown in FIG. 3B, and a second slope from L ₁ to the rear edge 15. Good. In this case, the slope of the second slope is gentler than the slope of the first slope. For example, the second slope may be in the range of about 3 degrees to about 7 degrees, and the first slope may be in the range of about 5 degrees to about 12 degrees. In another case, as shown in FIG. 3, the arm may have three or more slopes. For example, the arm portion has a first slope from the front edge to the point L ₁ , a second slope from the point L ₁ to the point L ₂ , and a third slope from the point L ₂ to the rear edge. In one embodiment, the first slope is in the range of about 3 degrees to about 7 degrees, the second slope is in the range of about 2 degrees to about 5 degrees, and the third slope is in the range of about 5 degrees to about 12 degrees. . Points L ₁ and L ₂ are mentioned for display purposes only, and one skilled in the art can determine where to change the angle of the slope to provide better results.

FIG. 3C shows another case where the bottom of the arm is not composed of individual sections with a constant slope, but has a continuous curvature. In this case, the slope is between the tangential plane T ₁ of the virtual ball surface and the local tangent plane of the bottom surface T ₄ or T ₅ at any point such as point L ₄ or point L _5. It is measured by. In other embodiments, the slope is in the range of 3 to 12 degrees at any point.

  As described above, the plurality of arms may form a composite dimple whose trailing edges are adapted to form a ring around the resulting central area of the star shape. Without being bound to any particular theory, a composite dimple having multiple arms eliminates the need for a specific direction of airflow. In one embodiment, the composite dimple has at least two arms. In other embodiments, the composite dimple has at least three arms. In yet another embodiment, the composite dimple has at least four arms. In yet another embodiment, the composite dimple has at least five arms. In yet another embodiment, the composite dimple has at least six arms. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the composite dimple 30 has six arms (40a-40f). In yet another embodiment, the composite dimple has more than six arms. The enclosed central region is preferably smooth and continuous with the surrounding slope, although other shapes are envisioned. For example, bumps, annular rings, depressions and the like are envisioned.

  In addition, the composite dimple 30 shown in FIG. 4 shows six substantially identical arms (40a-40f), but the width of the arms, the shape of the side walls, the slope angle, the length of the side walls, It is contemplated that the angle may be different for each dimple. In other words, one or more arms of the dimple may have a different width and / or a wider sidewall shape than the other arms. Similarly, one or more arms of the dimple can have a different slope angle than the other arms. Similarly, one or more arms may have a wall angle of 90 degrees and the other arms may have a wall angle greater than 90 degrees. Further, one or more of the arm portions may have side wall lengths different from those of the other arm portions.

Dimple Pattern As described above, the composite dimple of the present invention can be disposed on the whole or a part of the golf ball surface. In one embodiment, a plurality of dimples are arranged in a predetermined area such that the resulting dimple pattern includes at least one composite dimple according to the present invention. The at least one composite dimple may be randomly arranged on the designated surface, and may be selected and arranged by any method known to those skilled in the art. In other embodiments, the plurality of dimples are arranged such that the resulting dimple pattern includes a plurality of composite dimples according to the present invention, where each dimple shape may be the same or different. It may be a shape. In yet another embodiment, the plurality of dimples are arranged such that the resulting dimple pattern includes a plurality of composite dimples according to the present invention and further includes a plurality of dimples having different shapes.

  In one embodiment, the dimples cover approximately half of the ball surface. At least a part of the covered area includes the composite dimple according to the present invention. In other embodiments, composite dimples according to the present invention can be disposed on at least about 60 percent of the golf ball surface. The composite dimple may cover at least 70 percent of the golf ball. In one embodiment, the composite dimple covers about 80 percent of the golf ball surface. In other embodiments, the composite dimples of the present invention cover about 85 percent of the golf ball surface. In yet another embodiment, the composite dimple of the present invention covers about 90 percent of the golf ball surface.

  Those skilled in the art will recognize that dimples according to the present invention can be placed on a golf ball using any number of desirable patterns and arrangements known in the art, A dimple pattern based on the following geometrical shape is particularly suitable for imparting regularity to the formed dimple arrangement. In particular, as shown in FIG. 5, the dimple pattern on the golf ball 50 is formed based on an icosahedron, and has twelve five-arm composite dimples 60 according to the present invention at the apex of the icosahedron. , 252 dimples may be included. The remaining area is filled with 240 six-arm composite dimples 70 according to the invention. In this particular embodiment, the arms of the composite dimple are oriented to engage each other with adjacent dimple arms to create a mosaic effect. In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, each arm is oriented so as to straddle a virtual line connecting the center of the dimple and the center of the adjacent dimple.

In one embodiment, the dimple pattern has a plurality of composite dimples adapted to have the same number of arms as the number of adjacent dimples. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the dimple A (70) has six adjacent dimples (A ₁ , A ₂ , A ₃ , A ₄ , A ₅ and A ₆ ). Accordingly, the dimple A has six arms. Similarly, dimple B (60) has five adjacent dimples (B ₁ , B ₂ , B ₃ , B ₄ and B ₅ ) and thus has five arms.

  Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the specific embodiments shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 are intended to be non-limiting examples, and that other patterns are within the scope and spirit of the invention. Let's go. For example, a dimple pattern including only composite dimples includes a composite dimple having three arms, four arms, five arms, six arms, and more than six arms. Any number can be included. In other embodiments, the dimple pattern includes at least about 50 percent six-arm composite dimples relative to the total number of composite dimples. In different embodiments, the dimple pattern includes at least about 75 percent six-arm composite dimples relative to the total number of composite dimples. In a further different embodiment, the dimple pattern includes at least about 90 percent six-arm composite dimples relative to the total number of composite dimples. For example, the dimple pattern can include at least about 95 percent six-arm composite dimples.

  Similarly, dimples having a shape not described here can be formed on the surface of the golf ball. For example, the position or dimensions of the dimples can be selected on a golf ball that corresponds to a vent pin or retractable pin for injection molding to avoid significant changes in the molding equipment. Maintaining the dimensions and position of the dimples so selected can be accomplished by defining the portion on the ball where the dimples are placed by the method described herein, and from a portion of the ball surface to a predetermined location. Dimples that stay are eliminated.

  Further, the present invention contemplates a dimple pattern in which only a part of the dimples on the ball surface is the composite dimple of the present invention. For example, in one embodiment, a dimple pattern that includes a mixture of composite dimples and other types of dimples is about 5 percent to about 50 percent composite dimples and about 95 percent to about 50 percent other types of dimples. Can be included. In other embodiments, suitable dimple patterns include from about 15 percent to about 35 percent composite dimples and from about 85 percent to about 65 percent other types of dimples. In this case, the composite dimple can have a different number of arms. For example, such a dimple pattern can include between about 1 percent and about 10 percent five-arm composite dimples and from about 15 percent to about 25 percent six-arm composite dimples.

  Other types of dimples can be of a general shape (such as a circular planar shape) or a non-circular shape such as an ellipse, triangle, rhombus, rectangle, pentagon, and polygon. In one embodiment, the dimple pattern includes a plurality of composite dimples of the present invention and at least one other type of dimples, the other types of dimples being left in part or defined in some form. It is placed in an area that is not. For example, in another embodiment, a golf ball surface is formed in accordance with the present invention and has a first number of composite dimples having a first shape and a first dimension, and a second shape and a second dimension. And a number of composite dimples. In another embodiment, a golf ball surface has a first number of composite dimples formed according to the present invention and having a first shape and a first dimension, and a second shape and a second dimension according to the present invention. A second number of composite dimples and a third number of composite dimples having a third shape and a third dimension may be included.

  In other embodiments, the dimple pattern includes a plurality of composite dimples according to the present invention and a plurality of at least two other types of dimples disposed in a region left in some form or undefined. These other types are defined by dimples of the same shape and different dimensions, or dimples of substantially the same or different dimensions in different shapes. For example, in one embodiment, the golf ball surface has a first number of composite dimples having a first shape and a first dimension and a second number having a second shape and a second dimension formed according to the present invention. And a third number of composite dimples having a third shape and a third dimension. In this case, the second shape and the third shape may be substantially the same or different. Similarly, the second dimension and the third dimension may be substantially the same or different. In one embodiment, the second shape is a circular planar shape and the third shape is a non-circular shape. In another embodiment, each of the second shape and the third shape may be a circular planar shape, and the second dimension may be larger than the third dimension.

  In another embodiment, the golf ball surface has a first number of composite dimples having a first shape and a first dimension formed according to the present invention, and a second shape and a second dimension formed according to the present invention. A plurality of additional dimples having a shape and / or dimensions different from the third dimples, and a second number of composite dimples having at least a third shape and a third dimension. Can be optionally included. In this case, the additional plurality of dimples have the same shape as the third shape, but have a size different from the third size. Alternatively, the additional plurality of dimples may have substantially the same dimensions and a shape different from the third shape. In addition, the plurality of additional dimples may have a shape and a dimension different from the third shape and the third dimension (and may be different from the shape and the dimension of each of the plurality of dimples). Good).

  In the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the dimple pattern includes a total of 362 dimples, including 12 five-arm composite dimples 60, 80 six-arm composite dimples 70, There are 270 circular dimples. While the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 7 has about 25 percent dimples that are composite dimples according to embodiments of the present invention, one skilled in the art can adjust the percentage of composite dimples depending on the desired dimple pattern. Will understand.

  Some additional non-limiting examples of dimple dimensions and shapes that can be used as “other types of dimples” in a dimple pattern are described in US Pat. 2.

  In addition to changing the circumference and dimensions of “other types of dimples”, the cross-sectional shape of such dimples can be changed. For example, in one embodiment, the dimple shape corresponds to a catenary curve. This embodiment is described in further detail in US Pat. Another embodiment of a dimple-shaped cross-sectional shape that can be used in the present invention is described in Patent Document 4, which is also incorporated herein by reference. Other dimple shapes, such as a spherical ellipsoid or a paraboloid, can be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, the dimples can have either a convex or concave cross-sectional shape, or a combination thereof.

  As described above, the area defined on the ball surface for placement of the composite dimple of the present invention substantially corresponds to the hemispherical portion of the golf ball, but a narrower or wider area can be selected. Defining the region in this way is particularly advantageous when the mold forming the cover is composed of two hemispheres.

  The defined area can be chosen to substantially correspond to the area formed by one mold cavity. In this case, since the boundary region is in the vicinity of the dividing line of the mold, the dimple is not formed in a portion very close to the place where the mold cavities meet. For example, the boundary region is provided such that the dimple (composite or other type) portion is not formed within 0.005 inches or less from the mold parting line. The boundary regions are preferably at approximately the same distance from the dividing line of the corresponding mold cavity.

  Techniques that define regions to correspond to mold cavities can be used even when a pair of corresponding cavities do not have the same dimensions or shape. For example, the mold parting lines may be offset, as described, for example, in Kudriavetz, US Pat. In addition, the parting lines of the mold do not exist in a single plane, for example as described in US Pat. Other molds may have dimples across the parting line, as described in US Pat. No. 6,077,097, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. However, the defined area is not necessarily limited to a portion formed by a single mold cavity. In many cases, the defined area is a smaller polygonal area on a sphere defined to correspond to the surface of the polyhedron, as is known in the art.

  In alternative embodiments, dimples (composite and / or other types) can be placed on the dividing line.

  Also, the dimple pattern may be selected based on one or more geometric shapes including the Sodie circle described in US Pat. It is not a thing. The soddy circle is mapped onto the golf ball surface by any desired method. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention is not limited to any particular triangular pattern. For example, the triangles forming the triangle pattern may have any angle, including acute angles, obtuse angles, equilateral triangle angles, or possible combinations thereof. The length of each side of the triangle also varies as needed. In addition, the present invention is not intended to be limited to providing any number of triangles within a particular region on the sphere. Further, the triangular pattern may be mapped to the entire golf ball surface, or alternatively may be mapped to only a portion of the golf ball. The portion may or may not include the equator of the golf ball. In some embodiments, it is preferred to use two or more different triangular patterns. In such embodiments, two or more triangular patterns may be mapped to different portions of the golf ball surface. It may be desirable to map two or more triangular patterns to the same part of the golf ball to produce a different triangular pattern by combination.

Golf Ball Structure The present invention is not limited to any particular ball structure, nor is it limited by the materials used to form the cover or other portion of the golf ball. Thus, the present invention can be used with golf balls having any number of intermediate layers and any number of covers that are solid, liquid, or hollow at the center. It can also be used for damaged golf balls, golf balls having a multilayer core, and the like. For example, the present invention can be used with golf balls having a two-layer cover, a dual core, and combinations thereof.

  Other non-limiting examples of suitable types of ball structures that can be used in the present invention include Patent Document 9, Patent Document 10, Patent Document 11, Patent Document 12, Patent Document 13, Patent Document 14, Patent Document 15, The contents described in Patent Document 16, Patent Document 17, Patent Document 18, Patent Document 19, and Patent Document 20 are included. All of these patent documents and publications are incorporated herein by reference.

  Also, the present invention is not limited with respect to the materials used to form the golf ball. Examples of suitable materials that can be used to form various parts of a golf ball include, but are not limited to, polyurea, polyurethane, polybutadiene, ionomer resins, and mixtures thereof. For example, the outer cover material can be formed of polyurethane, polyurea, and mixtures thereof.

  Although the invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that various alternative embodiments are possible within the scope of the claims. For example, a dimple pattern including a composite dimple according to the present invention and a final golf ball formed with the dimple pattern can include additional shapes, including features known and used in the art, if necessary. .

5 Arm 10 Front Edge 15 Rear Edge 20, 25 Side Wall 30 Composite Dimple 40 Arm 50 Golf Ball 60 5 Arm Composite Dimple 70 6 Arm Composite Dimple

Claims (17)

A dimple having a plurality of arms for use in a golf ball, each of the arms being
A leading edge having a first width greater than zero ;
A trailing edge having a second width wider than the first width;
First and second sidewalls each extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge;
An inclined bottom having a first depth that is substantially zero at the leading edge and a second depth that is deeper than the first depth at the trailing edge to form a slope;
Including
Each of the first and second sidewalls forms an angle of 90 degrees with the bottom;
The dimple is provided with a central region, and the central region has a third depth that is the same as the second depth at the periphery thereof.   The dimple according to claim 1, wherein the first side wall and the second side wall form a curved curve.   2. The dimple according to claim 1, wherein each of the first side wall and the second side wall has a third width larger than the second width at a predetermined point along the length thereof.   4. The dimple according to claim 3, wherein the third width is at least 3 percent larger than the second width.   The dimple according to claim 4, wherein the third width is at least 5 percent greater than the second width.   The dimple according to claim 1, wherein the first side wall and the second side wall form a linear shape from the front edge to the rear edge. A golf ball having a plurality of dimples on a surface, wherein the plurality of dimples are arranged on the golf ball according to a dimple pattern including at least one composite dimple, and the at least one composite dimple has a plurality of arms. Each of the arms comprises
A leading edge having a first width greater than zero ;
A trailing edge having a second width wider than the first width;
First and second sidewalls each extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge;
An inclined bottom having a first depth that is substantially zero at the leading edge and a second depth that is deeper than the first depth at the trailing edge to form a slope;
Including
Each of the first and second sidewalls forms an angle of 90 degrees with the bottom;
A golf ball characterized in that a central region is provided in the dimple, and the central region has a third depth that is the same as the second depth in the periphery thereof. The golf ball of claim 7 , wherein the dimple pattern includes at least 50 percent of a first composite dimple format, the first composite dimple format comprising a first number of arms. The dimple pattern includes at least one percent of a second composite dimple type, wherein the second composite dimple type includes a second number of arms less than the first number of arms. Item 9. A golf ball according to Item 8 . The dimple pattern includes 5 0% of the first form of the dimples having a first shape, the dimple pattern that includes a first composite dimples form 5% to 50% with the arm portion of the first number The golf ball according to claim 7 , wherein: The golf ball according to claim 10 , wherein the first shape is circular. The dimple pattern is further a second composite dimples form comprises 1% to 5%, second complex dimples form comprises a second arm portion having less than said arm portion of the first number The golf ball according to claim 10 , wherein: The golf ball according to claim 7 , wherein the first side wall and the second side wall form a curved curve. The golf ball according to claim 7 , wherein each of the composite dimples has the same number of arms as the number of adjacent dimples. The golf ball according to claim 7 , wherein the dimple pattern includes a plurality of composite dimples, and arm portions of the composite dimple are oriented so as to mesh with the arm portions of adjacent composite dimples. The dimple pattern includes a plurality of composite dimples, and an arm portion of the composite dimple is oriented so as to straddle a virtual line connecting the center of the dimple and the center of the dimple adjacent to the dimple. The golf ball according to claim 7 . A dimple having a plurality of arms for use in a golf ball, each of the arms being
A leading edge having a first width greater than zero;
A trailing edge having a second width wider than the first width;
First and second sidewalls each extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge;
An inclined bottom having a first depth that is substantially zero at the leading edge and a second depth that is deeper than the first depth at the trailing edge to form a slope;
Including
Each of the first and second sidewalls is at an angle greater than 90 degrees and less than 120 degrees relative to the bottom;
The dimple is provided with a central region, and the central region has a third depth that is the same as the second depth at the periphery thereof.

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